The pilot reported that during the landing roll at the airport in Jackpot, Nevada, a “dust devil hit the rear” of the Piper PA-32-260, “throwing it into the right lane and sliding the airplane sideways down the runway.”
The plane veered off the left side of the runway, over a dirt berm, and hit a fence with the left wing.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
A witness that was at the airport reported the wind was calm all day.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with a fence.
NTSB Identification: GAA15CA270
This September 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
The FAA needs to read the NTSB reports ocassionally. Their stats show over 200 aircraft accidents caused by dust devils, most on takeoff and landing. I know, I was one of them.
You should avoid them as much as you would avoid wake turbulence from a “Heavy”.
Mine put me upside down at 200 ft. and if I hadn’t had years of experience in aerobatic competition. I wouldn’t be here today. Watch out in the spring when the grass is green and there’s no dust in the devil.
Oh now, it cannot be a dust devil, because the NTSB says so! Jerks.
The NTSB probable causes are a joke. These must be from a list of causes they pick from a computer.
It happens. A C206 got caught in a dust devil while landing at KGIC in August. The aircraft was on the ground, well below fying spped when the strong crosswind driven whirl wind picked up the tail, leaving only the downwind main and nose wheel on the earth. The pilot aggressively used aileron and rudder to lower the wind lifted wing and regain control. Never stop flying the airplane ’til the chocks are set! One of the pilots who saw the entire sequence said he was surprised the prop didn’t hit the pavement, the tail was so lifted so high.